100 Stories Before First Grade Project

The more stories children have read to them, before we expect them to read to us, the stronger their foundation for learning to read will be. Not all children enter school with the same foundation for learning to read. Children who have been read to early and often and have grown up in a literacy rich environment have been "learning to learn to read" for up to five years. 

For children lacking a strong literacy foundation, learning to read is a much greater challenge. The 100 Stories Before 1st Grade Project is designed to help "level the learning field" for children who are about to enter PreK or Kindergarten or have already entered school without a strong foundation for learning to read.

Similar to a bottle drive, children do a "story drive" to collect 100 Stories Before 1st Grade. Children use their story log to record the books read, or stories told to them by parents, grandparents, siblings, family member, neighbors, teachers, child care providers, librarians, and friends of all ages. 

This project can be initiated by child care facilities, preschools, nursery schools, pre-K and kindergarten classes, libraries, and families. The promotion poster, logs, stickers, and certificates can be downloaded free and printed from the BFPP website. 

(Note: Children in first, second, and third grades who are struggling with reading can also benefit from participating in a story drive.) 

This is a literally no-cost to initiate "community supported literacy" to support families in strengthening every child's foundation for learning to read.   

– Pam Leo

Founder, Book Fairy Pantry Project

All Book Fairy Pantry Project materials are designed by Maureen Topa! Visit her website here.